War of the Worlds
by LuckyLadybug
Summary: A crossover with Diagnosis Murder, and who knows what else! Mr. Smith goes to work at Community General Hospital to try to prevent a war with some bad aliens intent on ruling the world!
1. Prologue

War of the Worlds: Prologue  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
The aliens looked at the Southern California hospital through their secret camera.  
  
"Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate the hospital," a mechanical voice intoned.  
  
"What's the purpose of this?" one of the youngest aliens asked.  
  
"Some of the most dangerous people to our mission are employed in that hospital," the mechanical voice replied. "They must be destroyed so they won't overpower us. We WILL rule the world!"  
  
"Yes! Yes!" the aliens cried.  
  
"Now," the mechanical voice went on, "watch out for Dr. Mark Sloan and his buddies. They'll be your strongest threat. Once you dispose of them, the rest should be easy. Oh, and of course, we have a couple of friends in the hospital, too. They will help us succeed!"  
  
The aliens nodded, an evil glint in their eyes.  
  
******  
  
On another planet, more aliens watched the other aliens through their secret camera.  
  
"They're at it again," the head alien said sadly.  
  
"Ever since we banned from our planet for attempting a revolution, they've been looking at the planet Earth, hoping to rule it!" one of his counselors agreed.  
  
"We have to warn the inhabitants of the planet Earth!" the head alien announced.  
  
"We have our work cut out for us," another counselor said.  
  
******  
  
"Wow, Judge, a real alien revolution?" a young man with dark brown hair and sapphire-blue eyes asked an older man in judge's robes.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Smith," the judge replied. "The people on Earth are in grave danger. The aliens' technology is far more advanced than theirs." He paused. "I've given you a new assignment. You are to work undercover in the hospital and try to prevent the aliens from taking over there."  
"Really?" Mr Smith's eyes sparkled, eager at the thought of the adventure. "You mean you're taking me out of the Second Chance department?"  
  
"Not exactly, Mr. Smith," the judge said mysteriously. "This assignment has a lot to do with second chances."  
  
"It sounds great, Judge," Mr. Smith said. "But how will I be able to prevent an alien revolution in the hospital all by myself?"  
  
"You won't be alone, Mr. Smith," the judge replied. "There will be others working in the hospital too, and of course you have the Lord on your side."  
  
Mr. Smith nodded. "Who else will be working in the hospital?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Mr. Jones, for one," the judge replied. "You will know the others when the time is right." He shook his head sadly. "It's going to take a lot to stop these aliens, Mr. Smith. You must be careful."  
  
Mr. Smith looked at the hospital they were suddenly standing in front of, and it dawned on him that a real war between good and evil was going to occur inside those four walls.  



	2. New Beginnings

War of the Worlds, Chapter One  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
Mr. Smith entered the hospital and looked around. He spotted a friendly, white-haired doctor and went over to him.  
  
"Hello," he greeted him.  
  
"Oh, hello," the doctor replied. "I'm Dr. Mark Sloan. You must be Mr. Smith, the new receptionist."  
  
Receptionist? Mr. Smith thought to himself. Aloud he said, "Oh, uh, yes, yes I am."  
  
"Well, welcome to Community General, Mr. Smith," the doctor said.  
  
"Thanks," Mr. Smith replied.  
  
"I'll go tell Norman you're here," Mark went on. "You can start setting up at the desk over there." He gestured to the desk by the front doors.  
  
"Uh, okay. Thanks." Mr. Smith went over to the desk. Mark continued on down the hall to find Norman.  
  
When Mr. Smith was sure he was alone, he said aloud, "A receptionist, huh? Well, at least you didn't make me a doctor!" He laughed at that thought.  
  
******  
  
When Mark entered Norman's office, he found the administrator looking at the newspaper. He didn't look happy.  
  
"Mark! Look at this!" Norman exclaimed indignantly.  
  
"What is it, Norman?" Mark asked.  
  
"This!" Norman shoved the paper at Mark. "Read this."  
  
"'Suspicious green light seen hovering over Community General Hospital last night'?"  
  
Norman gave a curt nod. "Someone actually took a picture of it. Look!" He turned the page, displaying a black-and-white picture of a strange, oblong-shaped light, just several feet from the hospital's roof. "They think it was a spaceship!"  
  
Mark gave Norman a funny look. "A spaceship?" he repeated.  
  
"This could be terrible publicity for the hospital!" Norman moaned. "Who would want their loved ones treated in a place reported to have close encounters with the third kind?"  
  
Mark sighed. "You may have a point, Norman, but I don't really think it was a spaceship."  
  
"I don't believe in them either, amigo, but why take chances?" Norman exclaimed.  
  
"Well, what exactly are we supposed to do about it?" Mark asked.  
  
Norman threw his hands up in the air. "I don't know!"  
  
Mark gave Norman an amused look and headed for the door. Suddenly, he turned back around, remembering why he'd came in the first place.  
  
"Oh, by the way, Norman, the new receptionist is here," he said.  
  
Norman looked up, distracted. "That's good," he said.  
  
******  
  
As Mark walked back down the hall, he met up with Jesse.  
  
"Hi, Jess," Mark greeted them. "What're you up to?"  
  
"I just read the story about the spaceship," Jesse began.  
  
Mark grinned. "Oh, you did, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, and I was just thinking." Jesse glanced around, then said in low tones, "You know that new doctor? Adam Winfield? Have you ever noticed that he's acted . . . strange?"  
  
"Strange?" Mark repeated.  
  
"Yeah," Jesse said, "like one time we saw him talking into his cell phone. He was muttering in some kind of strange language. It didn't sound like any language we have on Earth."  
  
Mark started to laugh. "I know where this is headed," he said when his laughter had subsided. "And, no, I do not think Dr. Winfield is an alien."  
  
Jesse sighed. "Well, at any rate, don't you think he's acting strange?"  
  
"Well, Jess, I haven't actually had much contact with him," Mark replied.  
  
"I think maybe I'll run a check on him," Jesse mused. "See if his references are good."  
  
Before Mark could say anything, Jack came running up to them.  
  
"What's the matter with you?" Jesse asked.  
  
"Jack, you look like you just saw a ghost!" Mark declared.  
  
"You're not going to believe me," Jack gasped, "but I saw Dr. Winfield in his office. He was talking into his cell phone in some weird language. When he hung up, he closed his eyes and brought his hands together like he might be going to meditate. Then he just disappeared!"  
  
"You're kidding!" Mark exclaimed.  
  
"No! And I wasn't hallucinating, either," Jack said. "I asked several of the nurses if they had seen him go into his office and they said they had. And he definitely didn't ever come out! I went in and looked for him!"  
  
"That does it!" Jesse said. "You have to admit, Mark, that doctors don't usually vanish into thin air, right in front of you!"  
  
Mark nodded. "It definitely does sound odd."  
  
"So I can run the check on him?" Jesse asked.  
  
Mark sighed. "Go ahead, Jess."  
  
******  
  
Mr. Smith was going over some papers when a young doctor with sandy hair came up to him.  
  
"Hey," the doctor greeted him. "You must be the new receptionist. I'm Jesse Travis."  
  
"What can I do for you?" Mr. Smith asked.  
  
"Well, I need a personnel file," Jesse replied. "It's very important."  
  
"Uh, well, you know I can't just be handing around personnel files to anyone," Mr. Smith said.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Jesse said, "but like I said, it's very important. I need to have Dr. Adam Winfield's personnel file right away!"  
  
Mr. Smith was about to refuse, but something told him to go ahead, that it was okay. "Alright," he consented. He went over to the filing cabinet. After a bit of a search, he found Dr. Winfield's file and handed it to Jesse. "Here you go. But be sure to bring it back before too long."  
"Oh, thanks," Jesse said, hurrying off. "And don't worry, I'll have it back soon!"  
  
******  
  
Mark was in the doctors' lounge when Jesse came in, looking very serious.  
  
"Hi, Jess," Mark greeted him. "Did you find anything out?"  
  
"Did I!" Jesse exclaimed. "I called all the places that Winfield used as references---John's Hopkins, St. Thomas, Lakeview---and get this: None of them have ever heard of a Dr. Adam Winfield!"  
  
"No kidding!" Mark paused. "Hmm. This is bad. We'd better talk to Norman about this."  
  
On their way to the administrator's office, Amanda suddenly came running up to them. "Have either of you seen Jack?" she asked.  
  
"Jack?" Jesse repeated. "No. Why?"  
  
"Well, he told me about seeing that Dr. Winfield vanish into thin air," Amanda said. "Then he told me he was going to poke around in his office. That was nearly an hour and a half ago now!" She paused, then went on. "I haven't been able to find him anywhere!"  
  
"Oh." Mark looked serious. "This could be bad."  
  
"Did you check in Winfield's office?" Jesse asked.  
  
"Yes," Amanda replied. "I couldn't see him anywhere!"  
  
"We'd better go look," Mark said. "Jesse here just found out that Winfield's references were apparantly forged. He could be up to no good!"  
  
******  
  
They found Dr. Winfield's office and Mark peered in. "It doesn't look like Dr. Winfield has come back," he said.  
  
They cautiously went in.  
  
"It looks like Jack or someone was here," Amanda commented. "All these papers have been rifled through, and this desk drawer is open."  
  
"Here's a heavy encyclopedia on the floor," Jesse said, pointing. "I wonder how it got down there?"  
  
Amanda walked over closer to the desk. Suddenly she gasped.  
"Amanda! What is it?" Mark asked.  
  
"There's someone back here," Amanda replied, kneeling down on the floor behind the desk.  
  
"Well, what's up?" Jesse asked. "Is he okay?"  
  
"I don't know yet," Amanda said. "He's sprawled on the floor back here, and he's not moving." She gently turned the limp person to face her. "It's Jack!" 


	3. The Disappearing Doctor

War of the Worlds, Chapter Two  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
"Jack?" Jesse repeated.  
  
Amanda nodded, running a hand through Jack's dark hair.  
  
"This definitely isn't good," Mark said. "Somebody's up to no good! They're even harming people!"  
  
"Do you think they hit Jack with that encyclopedia?" Jesse asked.  
  
"I haven't found any indications that he was hit on the head," Amanda replied. "Jack, please wake up!" she whispered.  
  
Presently, Jack's eyes fluttered open. He blinked several times trying to focus.  
  
"Jack, are you alright?" Mark asked, concerned.  
  
Jack was silent, then finally said, "Yeah, I think so."  
  
"That's a relief!" Amanda exclaimed. "You gave us a scare, Jack!"  
  
"Do you remember what happened?" Jesse asked.  
  
"Not very well," Jack replied. "I remember being here in the office looking around. . . . Suddenly I was hit by a laser beam or something like that, and that's all I remember."  
  
"A laser beam?" Mark repeated.  
  
"Well, that's probably not what it was," Jack said.  
  
"Maybe a stun gun?" Amanda suggested.  
  
"Yeah, it could've been," Jack mused.  
  
"I don't like this," Mark said. "Apparently there was something in this office you weren't supposed to see, so someone knocked you unconscious and ran off with whatever it was."  
  
"Someone like Adam Winfield?" Jesse suggested.  
  
"Could've been," Mark agreed. "It does sound bad for him, with all his references forged."  
  
Just then Steve and Mr. Smith peered in.  
  
"Dad, what's going on?" Steve asked. "Delores said you'd gone looking for Jack and that I might try looking for you in Dr. Winfield's office."  
  
"Steve, Jack was kayoed by someone who apparently didn't want him to find something in this office," Mark replied.  
  
"No kidding," Steve said. "Are you alright, Jack?"  
  
Jack nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."  
  
They filled Steve in on the whole Adam Winfield story.  
  
"I'll have to run a check on him, see if he's been involved in any previous crimes," Steve declared.  
  
"What if Adam Winfield is just an assumed name?" Jesse suggested.  
  
"That's possible," Steve agreed. "I'll ask Cheryl to run the check and call me with the results." He grabbed his cell phone.  
  
******  
  
Later that day, Mr. Smith was just curiously wandering through the halls of Community General when he spotted someone familiar leaving the lab.  
  
"Hey! Jones!" he called.  
  
Mr. Jones turned around. "Mr. Smith! Judge Othniel told me you were here."  
  
"Yeah. We're supposed to stop a big alien war or something." Mr. Smith briefed Jones on the goings-on of the past couple of hours. "Do you know anything about this Winfield guy?" he asked.  
  
"Nope. Nothing," Mr. Jones replied. "The Judge didn't tell me anymore than he told you."  
  
Suddenly the doors burst open, and several little green men entered. Mr. Smith did a double-take. Mr. Jones looked equally shocked.  
  
"Greetings, Earthlings," said one, stepping forward. "We're here to get specimens for observation!" 


	4. Double Trouble

War of the Worlds, Chapter 3  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
Mr. Smith was just staring at the little green men, totally dumbstruck.  
  
"Observation?" Mr. Jones repeated. "But why?"  
  
"We want to see . . . what makes you tick," one of men replied.  
  
Finally Mr. Smith seemed to find his voice. "Why can't you just observe us here on Earth?"  
  
"We have been," another one said. "Now we want to see how you react in a different environment!"  
  
"This is outrageous!" Mr. Smith exclaimed. "What if we don't want to go?"  
  
The men didn't answer. One of them had pulled out some kind of scanning device, and seemed to be intently staring at the readings on the small monitor.  
  
"They don't seem to be human!" one whispered in hushed tones.  
  
"Oh, great!" Mr. Smith muttered. "Now they'll *really* want us!"  
  
"What are they, then?" another asked.  
  
The one with the scanner shrugged.  
  
"Maybe they are from the planet Orb," a third suggested, looking frightened.  
  
"What are they talking about?" Mr. Smith wondered.  
  
"Play along," Mr. Jones advised. "Maybe they'll leave us alone."  
  
"They are more powerful than us, whatever they are!" the first declared, turning off the scanner.  
  
"We must leave them be!" the second exclaimed.  
  
Without warning, there was a burst of smoke. When it cleared, the little men were gone.  
  
"Well, that was a strange experience," Mr. Jones commented.  
  
"'Strange'?" Mr. Smith repeated. "That wasn't strange---that was totally wacked out!"  
  
"Well, I suppose we can't tell anyone about this," Mr. Jones sighed.  
  
"They'd throw us in the nut house," Mr. Smith agreed. "We'd be a whole lot of help in there!"  
  
"We'll keep it to ourselves for a while," Mr. Jones agreed.  
  
******  
  
Later that day, Mark was in his office going over some files when Delores peeked in.  
  
"There's someone to see you, Mark," she announced.  
  
Mark looked up. "Oh? Who?"  
  
Before Delores could answer, a short, balding, slightly overweight man walked in. He carried a briefcase and was listening to a portable radio with headphones.  
  
"Hello, Doctor Bone!" he exclaimed.  
  
Delores gave Mark a strange look. "'Doctor Bone'?" she repeated.  
  
Mark chuckled. "He never has got my name right." To the new arrival, he said, "Hello, Attorney Evans!"  
  
"This fella's an attorney?" Delores said to herself, looking him up and down.  
  
"Oh, Doctor Bone, I was just in town and thought I'd drop by to say hello," Attorney Evans chirped. He rushed on, "I'm thinking of permanently moving out here, Los Angeles is such a beautiful city!" Attorney Evans had a small law firm back in Mayberry, North Carolina, but occasionally his cases took him out to other states.  
  
"Oh? But what about your practice back in Mayberry?" Mark asked.  
  
"You say why did I buy a laptop in a bayberry?" Attorney Evans asked, puzzled.  
  
Delores, who was still hanging around, turned to Mark. "What is it with this guy?" she asked.  
  
Mark shook his head, slightly amused. "Well, he never goes anywhere without his radio. Usually he turns the volume up so loud, he can't hear anything else." Raising his voice, he called, "Attorney, turn your radio down!"  
  
"No, I didn't burn my stereo!" Attorney Evans said in amazement.  
  
Mark got up, walked over to the Attorney, and removed one of his headphones. "I said, turn your radio down!"  
"Oh. Well, why didn't you say so?" Attorney Evans complied.  
  
Mark sighed in relief. "Now, if you moved out here, Attorney, what would happen to your practice back in Mayberry?"  
  
"My brother would take it over," Attorney Evans replied. "We've been talking about it, and he said he'd like a chance to be the head of the firm. I'd open my own out here, or join one already in existance. I have a few lawyer friends out here." The Attorney paused, then said out of the blue, "You know, I saw some little green men climbing into a strange saucer on my way in here."  
  
Mark, who was sitting on the edge of his desk, nearly fell off. "What?"  
  
"Oh, yes," the Attorney said. "I remember thinking, I wonder if they're aliens, but then I didn't pay any more attention to it because I was listening to Kerry, my favorite disc jockey."  
  
"Aliens!" Delores repeated. "Mercy me!" she exclaimed in a long drawn-out voice.  
  
"Attorney, where was this?" Mark asked.  
  
Attorney Evans paused. "Well, I suppose it was around to the side," he said. He checked his watch. "About fifteen or twenty minutes ago."  
  
Suddenly his pager beeped. Attorney Evans looked at the number. "Oh, it's my client! I'll have to go! I'll see you later, Doctor Bone!" Hurriedly, he rushed out the door, turning up the volume on his radio until Mark and Delores could hear it through the headphones.  
  
"Now he's a strange one," Delores commented. "Where in the world did you meet him?"  
  
Mark grinned at the memory. "Well, last October, he was trying to call a Marine friend of his, and he got the number wrong and called Community General instead. Somehow we met up just as I was going off to investigate a house reported to be haunted and he decided to tag along. We've been friends ever since." He paused, suddenly growing serious again. "I wonder about those green men he saw," he mused. "I wonder if they were in the hospital. . . ." He suddenly turned and hurried out the door.  
  
"Hey, where you off to?" Delores asked.  
  
"I'm going to find out if anyone else saw the green men," Mark replied.  
  
******  
  
Mr. Smith was sorting through some more papers when Mr. Jones came up to him. "Hey, did you hear?" he asked.  
  
Mr. Smith looked up. "Hear what?"  
"A friend of Dr. Sloan's saw some little green men leaving the hospital," Mr. Jones replied. "Now Dr. Sloan is going around asking everyone if they saw them too."  
  
"Wow," Mr. Smith said. "Do you think we should tell him our story?"  
  
"I suppose," Mr. Jones mused. "I hope it won't start an international panic, though."  
  
"We'll just have to make sure that what we say doesn't leave these four walls," Mr. Smith said.  
  
"Let's go find Dr. Sloan, then." Mr. Jones started off down the hall. Mr. Smith hurriedly refiled the papers he had been going through and took off after him.  
  
******  
  
As they wandered through the halls of corridors, they met up with Jack and Amanda, who were talking about some Dr. Winfield.  
  
"Hey," Mr. Smith greeted them.  
  
"Hey," Amanda replied.  
  
"I guess that was some experience you had, Jack," Mr. Smith commented.  
  
Jack sighed. "Yeah. Pretty strange. And Dr. Winfield has totally flown the coop."  
  
"We've looked everywhere for him," Amanda added. "With no luck."  
  
Just then Jesse came along. "Hey guys," he said. "I found something interesting in Dr. Winfield's locker."  
  
"Yeah? What?" Jack asked.  
  
"A receipt for a stun gun," Jesse replied, holding the paper up in a plastic bag.  
  
"Sounds like we have a closed case," Jack said. "Winfield owns a stun gun. He's no doubt the one who knocked me silly."  
  
"Yes, but why?" Amanda wondered. "We still don't know the 'why' of the matter!"  
  
Jack sighed. "That's true."  
  
"Well, hope you guys can figure things out," Mr. Smith said. "We'll see you later."  
  
They exchanged goodbyes and then Smith and Jones continued on down the hall. Suddenly they heard a patient in a room nearby complaining loudly. Curious, the duo peeked into the room.  
"There's too much racket going on here!" the patient shrilled. She noticed Mr. Smith and her eyes widened. "You!" she exclaimed. "You're back! Haven't you caused enough trouble?"  
  
Mr. Smith was baffled. "Huh?"  
  
"You . . . You came in and went through all my things, and then you just disappeared in a cloud of smoke!" the patient yelled.  
  
"Ma'am, you must have me confused with someone else," Mr. Smith said.  
  
"No, no, it was you, barbarian!" the patient screamed. She paused. "You certainly changed clothes in a hurry! You were wearing a leather jacket and white T-shirt. And how did you manage to disappear like you did?"  
  
"Hold on a minute," Mr. Smith, holding up his hands. "Something's not quite right here. I would never go through someone's personal belongings."  
  
"Of course you would deny it!" the patient yelled.  
  
Mr. Smith turned to Mr. Jones. "Do you know what's going on here?" he asked.  
  
Mr. Jones sighed, then slowly nodded. "Othniel told me that there would be many complications to this case. He mentioned that an evil spirit from Purgatory might try to impersonate you."  
  
"What?" Mr. Smith burst out. "Why didn't you tell me before?"  
  
"Othniel said you'd find out when the time was right," Mr. Jones replied.  
  
Mr. Smith sighed. "Othniel sure is hard to figure out sometimes." Then he grinned. "Of course, the bad guys always screw up somewhere. They didn't realize that when I'm wearing the leather jacket and T-shirt, no one can see me."  
  
"What are you two conspiring over there?" the patient demanded.  
  
Mr. Smith gave the patient a long look, then turned to Mr. Jones. "Do you think we should reveal ourselves?"  
  
Mr. Jones paused. "Well, your evil twin might try to convince her that we're the bad guys . . ."  
  
"He's already done that!" Mr. Smith sighed.  
  
". . . but," Mr. Jones continued, "I have a feeling that she could be a big help on this case, so I would say we should tell her the whole story."  
  
Smith and Jones slowly walked over to the patient's bed.  
"Ruby Henry," Mr. Smith began.  
  
"How do you know my real name?" the patient asked. "I never use that name anymore. Everyone knows me as Paula Mason."  
  
Mr. Jones smiled. "God knows your real name, Ruby."  
  
Ruby sat up straight in her bed. "Are you angels?" she asked.  
  
Mr. Smith grinned. "Not quite. We're kinda like heavenly guides."  
  
"We're working undercover here at the hospital," Mr. Jones added.  
  
"We don't want to worry anyone, but we're here to stop an alien invasion," Mr. Smith said.  
  
Ruby didn't seem worried. "Aliens? Oh, I knew there were some little creatures running around up to no good, but I could never get anyone to believe me."  
  
"Apparantly, the case is deeper than we thought," Mr. Smith continued. "That guy you saw snooping around is an evil spirit trying to impersonate me."  
  
Ruby was outraged. "This is terrible!" She looked closely at Mr. Smith. "I don't know how I ever mistook him for you. His eyes were so cold and unfeeling. Yours are warm and full of compassion. I will do anything I can to help!"  
  
"We were hoping you'd say that," Mr. Jones said. "Just tell us if you ever see his evil twin again."  
  
"And I have a feeling you will," Mr. Smith added.  
  
"I most certainly will!" Ruby declared. "Anything else?"  
  
Mr. Smith grinned. "One more thing. Please don't tell anyone who we really are. We can't have our cover blown."  
  
Ruby gave them a conspiratory smile. "My lips are sealed!"  
  
******  
  
As Smith and Jones left Ruby's room to resume the search for Mark, a million thoughts went around in Mr. Smith's mind. He'd had no idea that there was anyone else involved in this besides aliens. This was much more serious than he'd thought. 


	5. 332 Rosebud Avenue

War of the Worlds, Chapter 4  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
"Oh, there's Dr. Sloan!" Mr. Jones announced suddenly, jolting Mr. Smith out of his thoughts.  
  
They hurried over to him. "Hello, boys," Mark greeted them.  
  
"Hi," Mr. Jones returned the greeting. "Hey, we heard you were wondering if anyone else had seen those little green men your attorney friend saw."  
  
"Well, yes, that's right," Mark confirmed.  
  
"We encountered them," Mr. Smith spoke up. "They said they wanted us for observation."  
  
"Observation, huh?" Mark paused. "How did you get out of that?"  
  
Smith and Jones turned to look at each other. They had forgotten they'd have to explain that.  
  
Finally Mr. Jones turned back to face Mark. "Uh, well, they concluded that we were stronger than they were and that they wouldn't bother with us," he said truthfully.  
  
"If they were really aliens, surely their technology would be more advanced than ours," Mark mused. "I suppose they could just be troublemakers who heard the story of the green light hovering over the hospital and decided to stir up some trouble."  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," Mr. Smith said hurriedly.  
  
******  
  
Meanwhile, Jack and Amanda were driving out to check out Dr. Winfield's address.  
  
"Now, we're looking for 332 Rosebud," Amanda said.  
  
"Hey, isn't that it back there?" Jack pointed to a street about half a block back.  
  
Amanda backed up the car and looked at the street sign. "Yes, this is Rosebud," she said.  
  
Rosebud Avenue was in a very classy part of town. All the houses were fancy, and many of them looked like museums on the inside.  
  
"This Winfield guy must be loaded," Jack commented.  
  
"Here's 332," Amanda said, pulling up in front of a ivy-covered manor that seemed to go on forever.  
  
"Do you see something wrong with this picture?" Jack asked, glancing around.  
  
"You mean the fact that there's a buggy in the driveway instead of a car?" Amanda said.  
  
"Well, yeah," Jack said. "I mean, doesn't that strike you as a little strange?"  
  
"Maybe he collects them," Amanda suggested with a shrug.  
  
By now they had come to the porch. Jack knocked on the door. Silence.  
  
"I don't think he's home," Amanda decided.  
  
"He's supposed to be working at the hospital," Jack muttered. He reached out to turn the doorknob, then gasped. "Amanda, do you see that?"  
  
The modern wooden door had suddenly morphed into double doors that looked like the entrance to a medival castle.  
  
"I did," Amanda said in a strange voice. "And the door wasn't the only thing that changed."  
  
"Huh?" Jack looked around . . . and gasped. The entire manor was now an ancient castle, and thick fog was all around them. "Something tells me we're not in L.A. anymore," he muttered.  
  
"Jack, I think we're on the English moors!" Amanda declared.  
  
"The English moors?" Jack repeated. "Don't be ridiculous, Amanda!"  
  
"Well, just look around," Amanda replied.  
  
Jack had to admit it looked like the English moors. "Oh, this is nuts!" he exclaimed. "This has to be the craziest mystery we've ever tried to solve!"  
  
"Jack, look over there!" Amanda said in hushed tones. "There's someone over there."  
  
Off in the distance, a hooded figure walked aimlessly through the mists. When it saw Jack and Amanda, it started to head in their direction.  
  
"Oh, great, now what?" Jack muttered.  
  
The figure got closer. Amanda could faintly see them now. They had sandy colored hair that nearly came to their shoulders and hazel eyes with an evil look in them.  
  
"Jack!" Amanda nearly shrieked.  
  
"Who are you and what do you want?" Jack demanded of the figure.  
  
The figure did not reply. He raised his hand as if to reach out and grab them. Jack tried to grab the figure's wrist, but it suddenly vanished.  
  
"That was a weird experience," he exclaimed, a little in shock.  
  
"I'll never forget that face," Amanda said with a shudder. "If I ever see it again, I'll know it."  
  
Jack glanced around. "Hey, what's that?"  
  
"What's what?"  
  
"This mirror." Jack walked over to a mirror hanging on the wall of the castle.  
  
"This wasn't here a minute ago," Amanda observed.  
  
Jack reached out to touch the glass. Without warning, he suddenly was pulled into the mirror. Amanda looked on, appalled. She went over to the mirror and looked through it. Her own reflection stared back at her. "Jack!" she called. "Jack, where are you?"  
  
Suddenly an overwhelming force was grabbing her, pulling her into the mirror. Amanda screamed. She felt herself falling . . . falling . . . 


	6. Mirrors

War of the Worlds, Chapter 5  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
Amanda slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She was laying in a lavishly furnished, darkened hallway. The decor appeared to be turn-of-the-century.  
  
"Oh no. Where am I?" she groaned. Looking up, she noticed a gold-rimmed mirror and remembered what had happened.  
  
"Jack?" Amanda called. "Are you here?" She slowly stood up and felt her way down the hall.  
  
She hadn't gone more than ten feet when she suddenly fell on the floor, having tripped over something. She heard a soft moan.  
  
"Jack?" she whispered.  
  
In the dim light she could faintly see Jack sprawled on the floor, limp and unmoving.  
  
"Jack!" she gasped, "are you okay? Wake up, Jack!" She gently shook him on the shoulder.  
  
Jack stirred, slowly raising a hand to reach for Amanda. "Amanda?" he asked weakly.  
  
"Yes, Jack, I'm here," Amanda said softly.  
  
"That was some wild ride," Jack said wryly. "Can you imagine something so ridiculous as falling through a mirror?"  
  
Amanda sighed. "Just when you think things can't get any stranger, they do."  
  
"Where are we anyway?" Jack wondered, gingerly rubbing his head.  
  
Amanda walked over to the window and looked out. "Jack, I don't think you're going to believe this. I can hardly believe it myself . . . We seem to be in Winfield's place."  
  
"Normally, I wouldn't believe it, but after we've been to the English moors and back, I feel like I could believe anything," Jack replied sardonically.  
  
Suddenly Amanda gasped. "Jack! It's . . . it's him!"  
  
"Who?" Jack asked.  
  
"The hooded phantom!" Amanda replied. "Only now he's wearing a suit."  
  
Jack stared in the direction Amanda was pointing. "Hey, yeah, I see him too."  
  
Amanda paused. "Only . . . only . . . he doesn't look like the hooded phantom. He has a kind look in his eyes."  
  
"What? Are you telling me that there's two of them then?" Jack asked, slightly amused.  
  
"Well, it's possible," Amanda shot back. She turned back to look at the man again. "Strange. Now he's gone."  
  
"I think we'd better get out of here," Jack said. "There's no telling what'll happen in a strange place like this. I can't even figure out how we got here. The whole place might be cursed or something!"  
  
"I wouldn't be surprised," Amanda muttered. "You're right, Jack. Let's get out of here."  
  
******  
  
After wandering through a maze of hallways and rooms, Jack and Amanda finally found their way outside. By now night had fallen.  
  
Suddenly a strange green light enveloped the property.  
  
"Oh wow, that's all we need," Amanda groaned.  
  
It hovered over the manor for several minutes, then, just as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished.  
  
They made their way back to Amanda's car. As they drove away from the forboding place, Jack turned on the radio. They were greeted by a spooky laugh and a, "Welcome to Spook Theatre!"  
  
"Oh for heaven's sake!" Amanda muttered. "Not that silly show!" She tried to turn the dial, but it seemed to be stuck. "Jack, what did you do?" she demanded.  
  
"I didn't do anything," Jack replied. He grinned mischievously. "I guess the radio wants us to hear 'Spook Theatre.'"  
  
"Oh, you!" Amanda gave Jack a withering glare.  
  
Meantime, Mr. Smith stood in front of the manor. He knew it somehow played a part in things, though he wasn't sure yet what that part was. He did know that he felt very uneasy and that he wanted to get away from that place as quickly as possible. He started to walk down the sidewalk, then suddenly turned back. The whole manor had disappeared. In its place was a vacant lot.  
  
"Ohhhh boy," Mr. Smith sighed, shaking his head. He turned to walk on, but suddenly turned back again. The manor was back, only it looked like an English castle. "I know you're up to something," he called out to the night air. "I just don't know what it is yet," he added in a softer voice. 


	7. Unknown Assailiant

War of the Worlds, Chapter 6  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
Mr. Smith couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't alone. He quickly cast a   
glance around the property. Nothing. But the feeling persisted. Whoever was   
there, if anyone, most likely wasn't mortal. The scary part was that he   
couldn't tell whether they were from Heaven, or from . . . the other place.  
  
"Who's there?" he asked. His own voice echoed off the stone castle the manor   
had just morphed into.  
  
Suddenly a weird, clawed, hazy hand reached out and took hold of Mr. Smith,   
holding him captive.  
  
"Definitely from the other place," Mr. Smith muttered. "Hey! Let me go!"  
  
The thing clutched him tighter. Another hand grabbed him around the throat.   
Mr. Smith gasped and tried to loosen the thing's death grip.  
  
"Help me!" he whispered, barely able to get the words out. "Please!" I don't   
know what to do, he thought, panicked. I've never been strangled by an evil   
spirit. I don't know how to fight such a thing!  
  
Mr. Smith continued to wrestle with the thing, which wasn't about to let go.   
Its sharp claws dug into his arm and into his neck. He tried to grab it with   
his free hand, but he couldn't seem to get a firm grip.  
  
How come it can touch me, but I can't seem to touch it? he wondered.  
  
The thing continued to clutch Mr. Smith around the throat and gradually went   
tighter. Mr. Smith gasped, the pressure and the lack of oxygen overwhelming   
him. He slipped into oblivion.  
  
******  
  
"Mr. Smith! Mr. Smith, can you hear me?"  
  
The voice penetrated Mr. Smith's consciousness. What happened to me? he   
wondered.  
  
Now he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Mr. Smith!"  
  
Mr. Smith slowly opened his eyes and found himself looking up at Judge   
Othniel. "Judge . . . What happened?"  
  
Othniel smiled kindly. "You were attacked by an unsavory being," he replied.   
"You blacked out from lack of oxygen. I rescued you."  
  
Mr. Smith sat up shakily. "Thanks a million, Judge. I didn't know what I was   
going to do. Please tell me I don't have to go back to that manor!"  
  
Othniel sighed. "Well, Mr. Smith, it actually plays a big part in this, so   
I'm afraid you will have to."  
  
"Oh great," Mr. Smith muttered.  
  
******  
  
Meantime, Mark was discussing Jack and Amanda's strange experience with   
them.  
  
"You say you fell through the mirror?" he asked, unable to comprehend.  
  
"Mark, I'm tellin' ya, that's what happened," Jack said.  
  
"I went to look for him and then I fell through too," Amanda chimed in.  
  
"Are you sure that maybe you weren't drugged and you dreamed the thing about   
the mirror?" Mark asked.  
  
"Mark, it really happened," Jack insisted.  
  
Mark sighed. "Okay." He shook his head. "More is going on than meets the eye   
here.  
  
"Now, about that man you saw," he went on. "What did you say he looked like   
again?"  
  
"Well . . ." Amanda opened her mouth to describe the hooded phantom, then   
suddenly stopped and gasped. She stared directly ahead.  
  
"What? What is it?" Jack asked.  
  
"He looked . . . like that," Amanda choked out, pointing.  
  
Mark and Jack followed her gaze. A tall man with long, sandy hair and hazel   
eyes was standing in the doorway of Mark's office. He gave them an evil   
smirk and suddenly disappeared.  



	8. Andrew's Arrival

War of the Worlds, Chapter 7  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
Note: Seymour Talbot is a character from the Diagnosis Murder episode "Flashdance With Death." I liked him so much I decided to bring him back :)  
  
  
Mark rushed out into the outer office. "Delores, did you just see a man come through here?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah. You," Delores replied.  
  
"Besides me," Mark said. "A tall man, with long sandy hair and hazel eyes."  
  
"Can't say as I have," Delores said.  
  
"It's no use, Mark," Amanda sighed. "He's a phantom. He just vanished into thin air."  
  
"A phantom?" Delores repeated.  
  
Mark went back into his office. "Well, this certainly is a fine kettle of fish. A phantom!"  
  
"Hey, Mark . . ." Jack paused. "There's something we haven't told you."  
  
Mark was instantly all ears. "What?"  
  
Jack and Amanda exchanged a look, then turned back to Mark.  
  
"Well, when we went to open the door, the whole manor morphed into an old English castle," Amanda said.  
  
Mark gave her an odd look, but said nothing.  
  
"Yeah, and then it seemed like we were on the English Moors," Jack added. "That's when we saw that . . . phantom."  
  
"But how could you possibly have been suddenly on the moors?" Mark asked, throwing up his hands. "That's physically impossible!"  
  
"Mark, I think we're dealing with an enchanted place here," Jack said.  
  
"Enchanted?" Mark repeated. "I suppose it could be. But do such things really exist?"  
  
"They could," Jack said. "We've discovered that other strange things do. Remember Moriah?" Moriah was a murderess whom Mark and Jack had discovered was also a vampire.  
  
Amanda gave Jack a funny look. "Moriah Thomas?"  
  
Jack nodded. "Yeah." Mark and Jack were the only ones who knew Moriah's true identity, though Amanda knew of Mark's suspicions about her.  
  
Mark quickly cut in. "You're right, Jack. I suppose there could be such things as enchanted mansions." He paused. "I would definitely like to see this manor for myself." He checked his watch. "I'll be off in a couple of hours."  
  
"You'd better not go alone, Mark," Amanda warned.  
  
"Yeah. We'll go with you," Jack offered.  
  
"That's really good of you two," Mark said. "But I don't want you to have to go back there again."  
  
"Oh, it's fine, Mark," Jack assured him, exchanging a look with Amanda. "We don't mind."  
  
Mark nodded. "Alright, then. We'll leave around six."  
  
******  
  
A little later that day, Jack met up with Jesse coming out of an examination room, looking totally baffled.  
  
"Hey, Jesse," Jack greeted him. "What's up?"  
  
"There's this guy who complains that he keeps having blackouts," Jesse began. "So he came in to find out what was happening. He's so high-strung I couldn't even get his name. His cell phone rang. It was his secretary or something, I guess. He starting yelling something about the velvet being sold for $7 bucks a yard . . ."  
  
"Oh," Jack interrupted, looking amused. "I know who it is. I wondered if he'd ever be back."  
  
"Who is it?" Jesse asked.  
  
"Name's Seymour Talbot. He owns some kind of fabric factory," Jack replied. "He's the son of Norman's mother's bridge partner."  
  
"Oh," Jesse said, understanding. He shook his head. "Norman's not going to be happy. The guy skipped out before I could even find out what was wrong with him. He said he had to get back to the factory on the double."  
  
Jack grinned. "Oh boy. Well, I imagine he'll be back."  
  
"I hope so. And I hope Norman doesn't find out he was here," Jesse said.  
  
Jack started to laugh. "I know what you mean."  
  
He and Jesse started to walk down the corridor. Suddenly Jack stopped short, staring at someone walking by.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Jesse asked.  
  
"That . . . that looks like the guy Amanda and I saw!" Jack exclaimed. He had filled Jesse in on the strange experience earlier.  
  
The man stopped at the nurses' station. "Hello, Mindy. Any messages for me?" he asked. He had a pleasant voice.  
  
"No, not today," Mindy replied.  
  
"Oh. Well, thank you, anyway. Have a good day!" The man continued on down the hall.  
  
Jack ran a hand through his hair. "The plots thickens. Who is that guy?"  
  
"I think he's a lab assistant," Jesse replied.  
  
Jack looked thoughtful. He went over to Mindy. "Hey, Mindy," he greeted her.  
  
Mindy looked up. "Oh, hi, Jack."  
  
"Hey, uh, who was that guy who was just here?" Jack asked. "I heard that he's a lab assistant."  
  
Mindy nodded. "Oh yes. He's new here. His name is Andrew."  
  
"Andrew huh?" Jack looked down the hall in the direction the man called Andrew had gone. "Thanks, Mindy!" He hurried off down the hall.  
  
******  
  
Jack caught up with him in the lab. "Hey!" he called.  
  
Andrew turned around. "Hello," he said.  
  
"I hear you're new here," Jack began.  
  
Andrew nodded. "Yes."  
  
Jack paused. "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" he asked.  
  
Andrew stopped and looked at Jack. Finally he said slowly, "It's possible."  
  
"Dr. Stewart to the ER. Dr. Stewart to the ER," came over the PA system.  
  
Jack turned to the door. "Uh oh. That's me." He paused. "I'll see you around . . . Andrew," he said, hurrying out the door. Andrew watched him go.  
  
******  
  
A couple of hours later, Mark, Jack, and Amanda gathered again in Mark's office, preparing to go visit 332 Rosebud.  
  
"Hey, guys," Jack said, "you'll never guess who I met today."  
  
"The man from the manor," Amanda said.  
  
Jack turned to look at her. "Yeah. You saw him too?"  
  
Amanda nodded. "I did. But you know, he didn't look like the hooded figure."  
  
"Huh?" Jack asked, puzzled.  
  
"Well, remember that man we saw inside the manor?" Amanda asked. "The one in the suit?"  
  
Jack nodded. "Yeah. . . ."  
  
"Well, this new lab assistant looks more like him," Amanda said.  
  
"That's right," Mark broke in. "You mentioned that you thought there were two different people."  
  
Amanda nodded. "Exactly."  
  
"So there's a good one and a bad one?" Jack mused. "Supposing the one working here is the good one, then. Why is he here, and *who* is he?"  
  
"I certainly wish we had the answers to those questions," Mark sighed. He headed for the door. "Well, guys, we'd better get going."  
  
Jack and Amanda followed. "One thing is sure," Amanda said. "The man who was here in your office, Mark, was definitely the bad one."  
  
Mr. Smith watched them leave, invisible to the mortal eye. "Well, I guess I have to go with them," he said.  
  
Mr. Jones appeared next to him. "That's right," he said.  
  
"But how will I protect them from demons and other such things?" Mr. Smith burst out. "I haven't the faintest clue how to deal with them myself!"  
  
Mr. Jones smiled, then turned serious. "You're going to have to learn."  
  
Mr. Smith considered this, then shook his head and groaned. "Ohhhhh boy."  



	9. Poltergeist?

War of the Worlds, Chapter 8  
by Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
Norman was in his office, reading a copy of "UFOs Exposed" magazine. Strange things had been happening in the hospital lately. Just this morning, he could've sworn he heard a ham sandwich talking to him in the cafeteria. "I must be working too hard," Norman decided, until several others reported hearing it too.  
  
"It must be possessed!" one woman screamed.  
  
Norman had never heard such nonsense before in his life.  
  
Then there was the incident later that day, with Dr. Alex Martin discovering a strange egg-shaped object in one of the patient's rooms. Norman had called in security, but even they couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be, though they assured him it wasn't a bomb.  
  
And then there was that strange blue-white light that Norman had encountered when he entered his office that had picked up his desk and carried it all around the room, before depositing it upsidedown on the floor.  
  
Yes, there was definitely something strange going on. Norman didn't really believe in aliens or ghosts . . . at least that's what he had tried to convince himself as he had righted his desk and colleted up everything that had been on it.  
  
Suddenly Norman's thoughts were interrupted by a frantic voice. "Mr. Briggs! Mr. Briggs!" Young Ellie, Amanda's lab assistant, burst into the office. Norman quickly shoved the magazine in a desk drawer.  
  
"Yes? What is it?" he asked crisply.  
  
"Mr. Briggs, have you seen Dr. Bentley?" Ellie asked. "There's been a catasthrophe in the lab!"  
  
"No, I haven't seen Dr. Bentley," Norman returned. "Exactly what kind of catasthrophe has occurred?"  
  
Ellie paused, looking embarrassed. "Well, Mr. Briggs, I hope you won't think I'm seeing things, but . . ."  
  
"Well? Out with it!" Norman said impatiently.  
  
"A dead body got up off the slab and is wandering through the hospital!" Ellie burst out.  
  
Norman was floored. After the strange things that had happened today, he had thought he'd never be surprised at anything again. But never in a million years had he expected to hear something like *that* . . .  
  
"A dead body?" he said finally. Ellie nodded furiously. Norman tried to appear unconcerned. "Well, obviously, the man wasn't dead."  
  
"Oh no, Mr. Briggs," Ellie exclaimed, "Dr. Bentley checked him out herself when he was brought in. He was definitely dead!"  
  
Norman was at a loss for words. If what Ellie said was true, then things had gone too far around here. He had to get someone to investigate.  
  
******  
  
Norman looked at the telephone number that had been scribbled down on a piece of paper months before. 555-2350. Dare he dial it? Maybe he had been working too hard, as he'd originally thought. After all, there weren't any such things as aliens, ghosts, and . . . zombies.  
  
Suddenly he heard a commotion outside his office. Quickly he ran to the door and looked out.  
  
A man wearing a sheet from the pathology lab was running madly down the hall, knocking over food carts and nurses without so much as an "Excuse me" or an "I'm sorry."  
  
Norman gasped. Quickly he backed into his office, picked up the telephone, and dialed the number.  
  
Isaac, Mr. Smith's evil twin, invisible to the mortal eye, watched and laughed. He'd created a lot of commotion today and congratulated himself. Whoever Norman was calling would never figure what was happening at Community General hospital. How could they? Isaac looked forward to meeting whoever it was. "Look out, world," he muttered.  
  
******  
  
Norman was in much better spirits when he hung up the phone. Someone was coming to investigate and they'd arrive within a day or two! Finally---a rational explanation for the goings-on would be found, and the ridiculous alien theories would be disproved! That was something to celebrate. Little did he know . . . 


	10. Dead . . . or Alive?

War of the Worlds, Chapter 9  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
Mark, Jack, and Amanda were almost out the front doors of Community General when suddenly over the P.A. system came Ellie's hysterical voice.  
  
"Dr. Bentley to pathology! Dr. Bentley to pathology---immediately! There's been a bit of a . . . problem," Ellie finished in a slightly embarrassed tone.  
  
"I wonder what that's about?" Amanda mused, looking up at the loudspeaker. She sighed. "Sorry, guys. I guess going to the mansion will have to wait a bit."  
  
"Hey, that's alright," Jack said. "I'm curious about what Ellie wants myself."  
  
The trio headed down the hall, and ariving at the door of the lab, went in. Ellie looked up with relief.  
  
"Oh, Dr. Bentley, I'm so glad you're here!" she breathed.  
  
"Ellie, what's the matter?" Amanda asked. "You're pale!"  
  
"Well, Dr. Bentley, you see . . ." Ellie wasn't quite sure how to explain it. "Adeadbodygotupandranoutofthelab!" It came out faster than she had intended.  
  
The three doctors were floored.  
  
"Ellie, are you sure?" Mark said finally.  
  
"Whose body was it?" Amanda asked.  
  
Ellie thought frantically. "Mr. Montel's," she said. "He was laying right here!" She gestured at an empty slab.  
  
"Mr. Montel," Amanda mused. "I examined him and pronounced him dead at noon!"  
  
"Well, obviously, the guy came back to life somehow," Jack said. He grinned mischievously. "Or maybe it was a zombie." Amanda gave him a "you've-got-to-be-kidding" look.  
  
"Ellie, where is Mr. Montel now?" Mark asked.  
  
"I don't know!" Ellie wailed. "He took off running through the hospital! Mr. Briggs saw him too!"  
  
"Norman saw him? And what did he think?"  
  
"He turned pale and went back into his office," Ellie replied.  
  
Mark hurried to the door. "Well, we'd better find Mr. Montel before he scares everyone in the hospital!"  
  
******  
  
Jack and Amanda were wandering down the corridors of floor 5, searching desperately for the "zombie," or whatever he was.  
  
"Is it possible that you could've . . . mistakenly pronounced him dead?" Jack asked slowly.  
  
Amanda sighed. "I've never made a mistake like that before!"  
  
"Well, there's always a first time," Jack returned.  
  
"I guess that's about all it could be," Amanda mused. "I mean, we know he couldn't be a zombie. They don't exist!"  
  
Before Jack could reply, a sheet-clad figure tore past, arms outstreched, knocking over everything in sight. Several patients started complaining about the racket.  
  
"That's him!" Amanda exclaimed. "Quick! We have to catch him!"  
  
She and Jack chased after the elusive, apparently panic-stricken Mr. Montel.  
  
"Mr. Montel! Please stop! We're not going to hurt you!" Amanda called. Mr. Montel didn't slow down at all and ran into a storage closet. The two doctors followed him in. Silence reigned.  
  
"Where is he?" Amanda demanded, looking around. "There's no way he could hide in here . . ."  
  
Suddenly brooms and buckets and mops flew at them from all directions. Jack grabbed Amanda and tried to shield her from the flying cleaning items as he attempted to open the door. It stubbornly refused.  
  
"What's going on?" Amanda exclaimed.  
  
"If I'm not mistaken, our friend Mr. Montel is throwing these things at us," Jack replied.  
  
******  
  
Norman was greatly disturbed when Mark told him that Mr. Montel was still at large.  
  
"It's been over two hours now!" he declared. "Somebody should have been able to catch him!"  
  
"Unless . . ." Mark paused.  
  
"Unless what, Sloan?" Norman demanded.  
  
"Unless the man is really dead," Mark said.  
  
Norman just stared at him, then abruptly turned away. "Don't be ridiculous!"  
  
******  
  
Mr. Smith, meantime, was walking down the hall, presently invisible to everyone around him. He had heard about the strange events surrounding Mr. Montel and decided to try to find the man. He had no idea what was up with him, whether he was dead or not. But surely, if he was . . . wouldn't Mr. Smith have known about it?   
  
Suddenly he heard a huge crash from the nearby storage closet. Quickly he rushed over and opened the door. Jack, Amanda, and about a hundred brooms, mops, and buckets tumbled out.  
  
Mr. Smith gasped and quickly became visible. "Oh man, are you guys okay?" he asked. "What happened?"  
  
They both looked pretty dazed from their experience. Finally Jack's eyes seemed to focus and he said, "That dead guy threw this stuff at us!"  
  
"We don't know he was dead!" Amanda shot back. "He couldn't have been!"  
  
"Well, then, where is he?" Jack demanded. "He should still be in the closet!"  
  
"Maybe he is!" Amanda replied.  
  
The three of them quickly peered into the closet. No one was in sight.  
  
"I rest my case. It was a dead guy," Jack proclaimed. "There's no way he could've gotten away without our seeing him!"  
  
"Ohhhhh boy," Mr. Smith said softly. "There's more to this than meets the eye."  
  
Suddenly they became aware that they had an audience. They slowly turned around, finding themselves facing a man and woman, both looking at them intently.  
  
"Did you say something about a dead guy?" the man asked.  
  
Jack paused, then slowly nodded. "Uh, yeah. I did. Why?"  
  
The man reached into his jacket pocket and removed a badge. "FBI Special Agent Mulder. This is my partner, Agent Scully." He indicated the woman. "We were summoned here by a Norman Briggs." 


	11. Icy Calm

War of the Worlds, Chapter 10  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
"Norman Briggs?" Jack repeated, confused. "Why did he send for the FBI? I didn't know you guys had time to chase dead guys and aliens."  
  
"Well, we're from a special branch of the FBI that investigates cases involving the paranormal and the supernatural," Mulder replied.  
  
Suddenly Norman appeared. When he saw the agents, he looked very much relieved. "Oh, are you from the Federal Bureau of Investigation?" he asked.  
  
Scully nodded. "Yes, we are."  
  
"Oh good! I'm Norman Briggs. If you good people would just step into my office, we have much to discuss." Quickly Norman led Mulder and Scully down the hall.  
  
"Well, this is an interesting turn of events, to say the least," Jack commented.  
  
"It sure is," Mr. Smith agreed softly.  
  
Amanda picked up a few stray brooms and mops. "Well, something is definitely amiss here, dead man or not."  
  
"You can say that again," Jack said, assisting her. "Why was the guy running? What was he so afraid of?"  
  
"Well, waking up and finding yourself on a slab in a pathology lab would be pretty unsettling," Amanda replied.  
  
Unseen to the doctors and Mr. Smith, Andrew conversed with two women.  
  
"I don't understand, Tess," he was saying. "Is Mr. Montel really dead? And if he is, why didn't I know about it?"  
  
"Actually, Angel Boy, I'm not so sure about Mr. Montel myself," the woman called Tess replied. "All I know is that we're here to stop an alien invasion."  
  
"An alien invasion?" the other woman, Monica, repeated in her Irish lilt.  
  
"Yes, baby." Tess paused. "But the aliens are not the only force at work here," she continued slowly. She let Andrew and Monica contemplate what that meant.  
  
******  
  
Ellie looked up when Amanda and Jack entered the pathology lab.  
  
"Oh, Dr. Bentley!" the medical student exclaimed, "I'm so glad you're back. Mr. Montel was here again!"  
  
"He was??" Jack and Amanda said at the same time. "What did he do?"  
  
"He went all through the files, like he was looking for something," Ellie replied. "I came in to find this man throwing them everywhere! I called and asked him what he was doing and then he turned around and . . . and I saw it was *him!*" Ellie's voice trembled. "Then he slammed the drawer shut and ran out the door. I noticed he had a file in hand." She paused. "I . . . I guess I should've gone after him, but . . . Well, I was too afraid."  
  
"It's alright, Ellie," Amanda consoled her. "You were right not to chase him. He's a very dangerous man!"  
  
"Did you happen to see whose file he had?" Jack broke in. "Was it his own?"  
  
Ellie shook her head. "No. No, it wasn't his. I went through all the files and the only one that turned up missing was Mr. Calvarucci's."  
  
"Well, that's certainly odd," Amanda said. "Mr. Calvarucci was brought in several months back."  
  
Suddenly Jesse peeked in, looking frazzled. "Hey, there's some weird guy running down the hall in a sheet from the lab!" he announced.  
  
"Which way did he go?" Jack asked.  
  
"Into the elevator, heading for fourth," Jesse replied.  
  
Amanda headed out of the lab. "Come on, Jack, let's go find him!" she said resolutely.  
  
******  
  
"Mark, this guy is slippery!" Jack declared. He, Amanda, Jesse, and Mark were in the latter's office discussing the strange case of Mr. Montel. "Amanda and I chased him for two more hours, unsuccessfully."  
  
Mark shook his head. "This is bad. He's disrupting the entire hospital!"  
  
"What about Norman's FBI agents?" Jesse asked. "Have they had any luck?"  
  
"Mr. Montel seems to stay out of their sight completely," Amanda replied.  
  
"What did Mr. Montel supposedly die from?" Mark asked.  
  
Amanda sighed. "He was brought in by a couple of medical students. They claimed they'd found him behind a shack, and he was most assuredly dead."  
  
"They took it upon themselves to bring him here, instead of calling an ambulance?" Jesse said in disbelief.  
  
Amanda shrugged. "They're third-year medical students, training to be paramedics. I guess they figured now was a good time to practice their skills. Anyway, I examined Mr. Montel and I confirmed that he was dead. I hadn't had a chance to actually perform the autopsy yet and before I could . . ."  
  
"He skipped out," Jack finished.  
  
Amanda nodded. "Exactly."  
  
Mark leaned back in his chair. "This is all very puzzling. I would like to track down those medical students and question them about Mr. Montel."  
  
"Alex might know them," Jesse suggested. "They might be in his class."  
  
"True," Mark said. He turned to Amanda. "Did you happen to catch their names?"  
  
Amanda paused to think. "Well, now that I think of it, they seemed rather reluctant to give their names. They were in a hurry to get Mr. Montel to my lab and then they hurried off. But I could describe them to Alex," she hurried on.  
  
Mark smiled. "Alright, let's go find him!"  
  
******  
  
This certainly was strange, what was happening to Community General, Jack thought to himself as he finished up his rounds. Aliens, supernatural beings, dead bodies running around the hospital. . . . If word about these things got out, no one would want to leave their loved ones at CG.  
  
Jack shook his head, remembering the reporter who had carefully manipulated him into saying what she wanted him to say. She had woven what he had said to create a scandalous story and plop Mark (and CG) right in the middle of it. If there were any more of those creepy reporters around, no telling what they'd do with the knowledge that a supposedly dead body was terrorizing the hospital and that no one could catch it.  
  
He passed Norman's office. The door was open, yet things were strangely quiet. Curious, Jack peered in.  
  
"Hello? Norman?"  
  
An eerily ice cold breeze swept through the room. Jack ventured in, wondering if someone had forgot to turn off the air conditioner when the weather outside had suddenly turned near-freezing.  
  
"Mr. Briggs?"  
  
Suddenly a blueish-white light came straight at Jack, then vanished right in front of him.  
  
"What the . . ." Jack wondered if maybe it was some dirty trick someone was pulling. He cautiously took a step forward. "Hey, this isn't funny!" he declared. "Whoever you are, come out here this minute and face the music!"  
  
Suddenly something struck him hard on the back of his head. Stars exploded before Jack's eyes that rivaled any Looney Tunes cartoon. His last coherent thought was, If this is a trick, they've taken it too far. 


	12. Isaac . . .

War of the Worlds, Chapter 11  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
"Hi, Alex!" Amanda chirped.  
  
The young medical student looked up from the textbook he was reading. "Oh, hi, Dr. Bentley . . . Dr. Sloan. . . . What's up?"  
  
"Well, Alex, we were wondering if you could help us identify a couple of medical students who brought a supposedly dead body to Amanda," Mark replied.  
  
"Oh yeah, I heard about that," Alex said. "The guy that wasn't really dead and took off running through the hospital?"  
  
"Uh . . . Something like that," Amanda said. She was starting to wonder, though, if maybe there was something to Jack's zombie stuff . . . But no, that was ridiculous! she told herself.  
  
"Well, I'll help if I can," Alex said.  
  
Mark smiled. "Thanks, Alex. I knew we could count on you. Amanda, will you describe them?"  
  
"Well, the one had long, sandy hair and hazel eyes," Amanda began. "He actually looked older than the average medical student." She looked like she was about to say more, but decided against it. "And the other had dark brown hair and blue eyes. He looked remarkably like Mr. Smith, actually," she added, "but I knew it couldn't be him, since he isn't a medical student."  
  
Alex paused, thinking. Finally he said, "You know, I've never seen them around."  
  
Mark looked serious. "This doesn't sound good," he said. "What exactly did they say, Amanda?"  
  
"They just brought Mr. Montel in and announced that they were medical students here at the hospital, and on their lunch break, they had discovered Mr. Montel behind a shack a mile or so from here," Amanda replied. "As I said, I tried to get their names, but they left Mr. Montel and rushed out of the lab."  
  
"This Mr. Smith," Alex broke in. "How well do you guys know him? Could it have been him?"  
  
Amanda gave him a funny look. "No!"  
  
"He would've been at the front desk at the time," Mark added. He paused. "Now about that other guy. . . . He sounds a little like one of the lab assistants . . . Andrew." He glanced at a nearby clock. "Oh, we'd better go, Alex. It's almost time for class."  
  
Alex jumped up. "Yeah, you're right." He began to gather up his textbooks. "Well, let me know if I can help in any way," he said.  
  
Mark smiled. "We will." He glanced back at Amanda. He wanted to talk to her more about those two "medical students" later.  
  
******  
  
Amanda hadn't wanted to say it in front of Alex, but now that she thought of it, the man with the sandy hair and hazel eyes reminded her of the hooded figure she and Jack had seen at Dr. Winfield's "enchanted" manor---too much. She was anxious to go back to the strange manor and find out what was really happening there. Morphing buildings, scenery changes, hooded figures, and portal-like mirrors. Amanda had never seen anything like it, not in the 8-plus years she had been investigating with Mark, Jack and the others. They had hardly ever encountered the supernatural or paranormal on their cases, and the few times they had, it always wound up with a logical explanation. Except for . . .  
  
She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to the Moriah Thomas story that Mark and Jack weren't telling her, or anyone. They had announced that Moriah had been the killer, acting on orders of her boss, but when Mark had said it, he'd had this gleam in his eye, like he wanted to say more, but hadn't. Could Moriah really be . . .? No, that was ridiculous. There were no vampyres!  
  
Amanda shook her head. That had been almost six years ago now. Surely it didn't have any relation to their current case. Get back on track, Bentley, she said to herself. Right now, they had to find some way to catch that madman running all over CG. She wondered if Norman's FBI friends were any closer to figuring out what was happening in the hospital.  
  
******  
  
Mr. Smith was at the reception desk when suddenly the area grew quiet. "Hey, what's going on?" he said aloud.  
  
Suddenly a cloud of blue smoke rose up. Mr. Smith coughed, waving the smoke away. He found himself staring at . . . himself. He did a double take, standing up and staring at this new arrival.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Smith," he said in low tones.  
  
"Who are you?" Mr. Smith asked, though he already knew. He didn't need a name to know that this guy was a fallen angel.  
  
"You can call me . . . Isaac," he said smoothly.  
  
"What do you want?" Mr. Smith demanded.  
  
Isaac smirked. "Well, you see, Mr. Smith, I'm here to make sure you guys don't win here."  
  
"You're helping the aliens?"  
  
"Oh no. *They're* helping *me,*" Isaac replied. "And the rest of us." He gestured, and Mr. Smith saw a whole horde of fallen angels.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Mr. Smith asked.  
  
Isaac continued to look smug. "You know, Mr. Smith, we're going to win. More people are joining us every day."  
  
"Evil and hate will never win," Mr. Smith replied.  
  
"You know, it's really more fun on our side," Isaac went on. Mr. Smith only glared at him. Issac paused. "You'd better watch out, Mr. Smith," he hissed. "You'll be seeing a lot more of me." Then, with another burst of blue smoke, he was gone.  
  
Mr. Smith slowly sat back in his chair, shaking. He hated to think what Isaac was up to. He remembered how he had rummaged through Ruby Henry's things, pretending to be Mr. Smith. "Ohhhh man," he said softly. "This can't be good."  
  
******  
  
Amanda was heading back to her lab when she passed by Norman's office. Usually she heard the rustling of paper or Norman agitatedly talking on the phone when she passed by, but today she heard nothing. That's odd, she thought. She knocked on the door, which was partially open. "Mr. Briggs?" she called. "Norman?" Getting no answer, she decided just to peek in, to make sure Norman was okay.  
  
She looked in. "Norman, are you here?"  
  
An eerie quiet filled the office. Amanda opened the door more and walked in. As soon as she did, she noticed someone lying face down on the floor. Quickly she rushed over and, dropping to her knees next to him, gently turned him to face her. "Jack!" she gasped. "Oh, Jack, what happened to you? What were you doing here in Norman's office?" Receiving no answer, she searched for a pulse, then breathed a sigh of relief. Jack was still alive, and his pulse was steady. She ran a hand through his fluffy dark hair and discovered a bump on his head. Someone had knocked him unconscious . . . but why? And who? Mr. Montel?  
  
Jack stirred. "Jack?" Amanda said softly.  
  
Jack slowly opened his eyes. He stared at Amanda blankly, then seemed to focus.  
  
"Oh, Jack, thank goodness you're awake," Amanda exclaimed. "You had me worried!"  
  
"I feel like someone dropped a ton of bricks on me," Jack replied ruefully.  
  
"What were you doing here in Norman's office?" Amanda asked.  
  
Jack shakily sat up, rubbing his head. "The door was open and everything was quiet. So I came in." He paused. "And it was really cold."  
  
"Cold?" Amanda repeated. "It's not cold in here now."  
  
"I know. But it was when I came in," Jack said. "And then there was this bluish-white light that came at me and then disappeared." He froze.  
  
"Jack, what is it?" Amanda asked.  
  
"Amanda, you're not going to believe this," Jack said slowly.  
  
"What?" Amanda demanded.  
  
"I think I was knocked out by a poltergeist!" Jack exclaimed. 


	13. Aliens, Poltergeists, and Ham Sandwiches

War of the Worlds, Chapter 12  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
"A poltergeist?" Amanda repeated slowly.  
  
Jack nodded and looked at Amanda ruefully. "You don't believe me, do you?"  
  
"Jack, I honestly don't know what to believe any more," Amanda replied, throwing up her hands. "It just dawned on me that one of the medical students who brought Mr. Montel in looked like the hooded phantom at Winfield's place."  
  
"Oh really?" Jack said, his eyes gleaming. "Amanda, I don't think we should delay in revisiting that place any longer. Let's go find Mark and get out of here!"  
  
******  
  
Mr. Smith, watched them go, unseen by them. "More unanswered questions," he complained.  
  
Suddenly he looked and found himself staring at his evil twin. "Oh, great. Isaac," he muttered. "Did you knock Jack out?"  
  
Isaac shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not." He glanced at the clock. "Sorry to run in and run out, but I've gotta be somewhere!" And with that, he was gone.  
  
Mr. Smith waved away the now-familiar blue smoke that followed Isaac everywhere and sighed. What was that guy planning now? "Uh oh," Mr. Smith said softly. He'd better find out---fast.  
  
******  
  
As he passed by the deserted cafeteria, he noticed its sole occupant---one Norman Briggs.  
  
"Mr. Briggs!" Mr. Smith called.  
  
Norman turned around from the sandwich case he was staring at. "Yes? Oh. Mr. Smith. Is there something wrong?" He looked highly embarrassed.  
  
Mr. Smith tried hard not to laugh as he realized that Norman had been trying to get the ham sandwich to talk. "Um, well . . . I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You weren't in your office, and, uh, Jack had a strange experience when he went to look for you."  
  
Norman tried to hide the ham sandwich. "Oh, uh, really? I'd better go find him." Quickly Norman fled out of the cafeteria.  
  
Mr. Smith looked at the sandwich in the case, then back at the retreating Norman.  
  
Suddenly he heard Norman's angry voice from the hall. "So, we finally meet, face-to-face! I don't know who let you clowns in here, but now I am asking you nicely to get out. Do you have any idea what your stunts have done to this hospital?"  
  
Mr. Smith went to the doorway and looked out. Norman was confronting two little aliens, both holding threatening ray guns. "Uh, Norman, I think you'd better be careful," Mr. Smith warned.  
  
"I certainly do," Norman replied. "I have to be more careful about the kind of people we allow to roam around in the hospital!"  
  
"Earthling, you will come with us," one of the aliens spoke up.  
  
"I most certainly will not!" Norman replied, outraged.  
  
Without warning, the aliens aimed their ray guns. Norman quickly ducked out of the way. "Security!" he screamed. "Security!"  
  
"Mr. Briggs, I'm afraid the security guards won't be much help in a case like this," Mr. Smith warned.  
  
While Norman was involved screaming for security, the aliens managed to zap him with their ray guns. Norman instantly froze.  
  
"Hey! What did you do to him?" Mr. Smith demanded.  
  
"Immobilization," one of them replied. "Now we are taking him back to our planet!"  
  
They started to cart Norman off. Mr. Smith chased after them. "Hey! I can't let you guys take him away like this!"  
  
******  
  
He followed them up to the roof, where they loaded Norman onto their spaceship.  
  
"Prepare for takeoff!" the alien pilot called.  
  
The door slammed shut and they started to ascend.  
  
"Here goes everything," Mr. Smith muttered, concentrating very hard.  
  
Suddenly he was inside the spaceship. The aliens looked at him in shock.  
  
"How did he do that?" one exclaimed.  
  
"Now we will have to take him, too!" another complained. "And something tells me that he is going to give us a lot of trouble!"  
  
"I won't do anything right now if you just release Mr. Briggs," Mr. Smith replied.  
  
"Now, why would we want to do that?" The one who seemed to be the leader raised his ray gun at Mr. Smith and pulled the trigger.  
  
"Hey, where did he go?" another said in amazement.  
  
Mr. Smith had vanished.  
  
"You missed me!"  
  
They all whirled around. Mr. Smith was standing over by the control panel.  
  
"Quick! Get him!" the leader screamed.  
  
Two other aliens rushed forward, ray guns held high . . . and Mr. Smith disappeared again.  
  
He laughed to himself as he played the disappearing games with the aliens. He knew that he had to get Norman off the ship immediately. It was rising higher by the second.  
  
Suddenly the door of the spaceship began to open. The aliens gasped. Mr. Smith grabbed Norman and jumped out. "I'll be seeing you guys," he called.  
  
The aliens rushed forward to look out . . . and saw nothing.  
  
"Where did he go?"  
  
They all turned to look at each other. The leader looked especially miffed. "We will not take this lightly," he growled. "The one with the powers must be watched carefully. He is one of the biggest hindrances to our plan and he must be done away with!"  
  
******  
  
Mr. Smith and Norman had landed safely in a tree in a large field. Mr. Smith looked over at the hospital administrator, still in a trance-like state.  
  
Suddenly Norman snapped out of it. He looked around blankly. "Good heavens, what am I doing in this tree?" he exclaimed.  
  
"Uh, well, Mr. Briggs, we just had a harrowing escape from an alien spaceship," Mr. Smith replied.  
  
"What!" Norman burst out. "They're taking these stunts much too far!"  
  
"It's actually no stunt, Mr. Briggs . . ." Mr. Smith stoped abruptly, staring at a familiar figure down in the field. Isaac!  
  
The fallen angel glared up at Mr. Smith and then suddenly vanished.  
  
Norman coughed as the cloud of blue smoke rose up. "What's happening? A fire?"  
  
"Not exactly," Mr. Smith replied, staring at the place where his evil double had just been. 


End file.
